Wednesday, May 1, 2013

May Day Farwell Pier 2012

These pictures were posted to Everyblock a year ago today to point out the sad state that Farwell Pier (officially known as Farwell Avenue Breakwater) was in. It was during this discussion online that the members of the fledgling Farwell Pier Preservation Society first spoke and that Applejack's public interest in the pier came to the surface. (At first he had defended the graffiti.) Everyblock did serve an important role, allowing many neighbors in Rogers Park to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other. These pictures are shocking today, compared to the pier just one year later (There will be a followup post showing how the pier looks this year.)Please continue reading for more pictures and words

The two people in the above photo are fishing, but they could be just as well looking into the water wondering "who's body is floating down there?". That's how bad the Farwell Pier looked last year, like something out of "The Warriors". You can see below that the pier by the sand had graffiti as wel. Looks like a good place for a bunch of gangs to hold a big meeting like in the aforementioned movie, then someone takes a shot and kills the leader trying to unite the gangs of the city. The "Warriors" are then blamed with the nefarious deed, forcing them to navigate dangerous gang turf of the many neighborhoods of the city on and off the "L" until they finally make it back to home base in (let's say) Humboldt Park ("Warriors.... come out and plaaayea!")

(In the last picture you can still see a wing at the top of the pier hanging on a prayer.) Applejack spoke to the Park District which got the dead, non-functioning light up and running again. Through neighbor and city participation the pier was kept free of graffiti ever since. A garbage can was placed at the end of the pier keep it free of litter, it is favorite hangout for kids at night to drink, evidenced by staggering amounts of beer cans found in the morning. Farwell Pier just one year ago was heavily blighted indeed.